Norovirus and Infection Prevention

Norovirus-a.k.a. the vomiting
bug Cruises are great vacations,
offering millions of people exciting
travel adventures. However, they can have
a bad reputation with reports of illness
outbreaks on them. Generally when you
hear those reports, you're hearing about
norovirus, also known as the vomiting
bug.

What is norovirus?
Norovirus is a serious gastrointestinal
illness that causes inflammation of the
stomach and/or intestines. This
inflammation then leads to nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Norovirus is extremely contagious (easy
to spread) and will ruin your fun.

Norovirus is the leading cause of illness
and outbreaks related to food in the
United States. It generally happens when
food service workers who have the virus
touch food without washing their hands
well or at all. It can also spread by
sharing food or utensils with someone who
has norovirus. You can get norovirus if
you touch a surface that was touched by a
person with norovirus and then touch your
mouth.

How does norovirus
spread? Norovirus can spread
from person-to-person, from contaminated
surfaces, and from contaminated food or
water. It causes approximately 20 million
illnesses each year. Symptoms start
between 12 to 48 hours after being
exposed and can last anywhere from one to
three days. Dehydration is a big concern
for people with norovirus, especially in
the elderly and the very young, and a
main reason for people being
hospitalized. People are most contagious
when they are actively sick and for the
first few days after getting over the
illness.

Why is norovirus so
contagious? It can be in your
feces (poop) before you start feeling
sick, and it can stay for two weeks or
longer after you're feeling better.
Combine that with people not doing a
great job of washing their hands and you
have big potential for spreading this
virus. Norovirus can spread quickly in
closed places such as daycares, nursing
homes, schools, and yes, cruise ships.
There is no treatment specifically for
norovirus. The best thing to do if you
think you've got norovirus is to contact
your doctor, treat the symptoms, stay
hydrated, and stay home.

How can you protect yourself from
norovirus?
Wash your hands frequently, avoid
sharing food and utensils with someone
who is ill, and keep yourself healthy!
Wash your hands before you start
preparing food. Wash fruits and
vegetables well. Cook food thoroughly.
Wash your linens after you've been sick
and if they get contaminated with vomit
or feces. Clean surfaces-especially those
in the bathroom-with a chlorine bleach
solution (5-25 tablespoons of household
bleach [5.25%] per gallon of water). If
you don't have access to a sink, use
alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean
your hands.

So the next time you're on a cruise ship
(or in a daycare, school, nursing home,
etc.) and you see hand sanitizer or hand
washing stations, use them! They are
there to help you protect yourself from
norovirus and lots of other icky germs.